Personal healthcare typically requires invasive testing and monitoring. A person typically goes to a hospital, clinical laboratory, or doctor's office and undergoes one or more clinical tests that involve invasive testing to determine the person's wellbeing and general health. Conventional clinical tests during physical examination often involve the taking of a blood sample to test for a range of medical conditions. Taking a blond sample usually necessitates the insertion of a needle or other instrument which is often a painful experience. Physical examination often necessitate other types of invasive testing and monitoring.
In addition to the inconvenience and costs associated with invasive testing in a hospital or clinical laboratory setting, most people only very infrequently undergo such invasive testing. Such infrequent or intermittent testing often poses risks to a person's health, because one or more signs or symptoms of a potential illness or disease are often overlooked or detected too late because the testing was not performed sufficiently early. In addition, it is difficult to maintain a preventive approach to healthcare because of the infrequent or intermittent testing and monitoring that occurs. More frequent monitoring and testing is necessary in order to maintain a more accurate record of the person's health.
Moreover, the costs associated with physical examinations and clinical testing often deter people from seeking healthcare. Additional laboratory testing typically adds significant costs to the burden associated with a physical examination. A relatively simple and inexpensive device capable of monitoring and testing would therefore be beneficial.